Burbank Planning Commission approves vocational school at 2711 Winona Avenue

The City of Burbank Planning Commission on June 22 voted 4‑0 to approve a conditional use permit allowing the Southern California Health Institute (Sochi) to open a vocational allied‑health school at 2711 Winona Avenue.

Civia Sulis, a planning technician with the Community Development Department, told commissioners the building is a 66,120‑square‑foot, three‑story structure with a semi‑subterranean garage and two surface lots. Staff said the school would offer nine programs, operate a hybrid model with most lectures online and labs on campus, and project 120 students per semester with a maximum on‑campus cap of 79 (staff estimated 45–55 students on site at peak). Sulis said the project conforms to the Burbank 2035 General Plan and the city’s zoning code and that "staff recommends that the planning commission adopt a resolution approving a conditional use permit project 26‑0000157 subject to the conditions of approval." The staff presentation noted the project qualified for a categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act, section 15301(a), because it reuses an existing building with interior renovations and modest site work.

Applicant Levon Sun, chief operating officer of Southern California Health Institute, said he and his family are longtime Burbank residents and described Sochi’s connections to local employers and workforce needs, adding, "we believe we'll be able to help bridge the gap with some issues that we have in the city as far as our workforce and healthcare." Sun told commissioners the school plans to begin classes in January, contingent on permits and buildout, and that the North Hollywood campus would remain a satellite location for the registered nursing program for about a year to 18 months while Burbank facilities are completed.

Staff described site improvements as limited to interior tenant improvements, an 8‑foot fence along Winona Avenue, bicycle parking (eight long‑term spaces in the garage and two short‑term spaces up front), and parking reconfiguration that would reduce total spaces from 81 to 79 to accommodate bike racks. Sulis said the Burbank Municipal Code parking standard for a vocational school is one space per student and that the proposed parking meets the requirement for the stated 79‑student on‑campus maximum. Staff also reported receiving one inquiry from a neighbor concerned about potential parking impacts; after discussion with staff the neighbor did not submit further comments.

Commissioners asked about the project timeline and public‑facing services. Sun said classes could start in January if permits and buildout proceed on schedule, that administrative staff would move in earlier, and that the school had previously operated a low‑cost student massage clinic open to the public though plans to resume such services were not finalized. Architect Armen Kazanchan described the work as mainly interior remodel and said no major facade alterations were planned beyond landscaping, a perimeter fence and signage subject to permitting.

After brief deliberation the commission moved to adopt a resolution approving the conditional use permit based on staff findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval; the motion was seconded and adopted on a 4‑0 roll call (Chair Wick, Vice Chair Safarian, Commissioner Van Gorder and Commissioner Bennett).